Only 20 minutes from Baxter and Brainerd located along Minnesota Highway 371, this park is an excellent place to visit while traveling up north from the Twin Cities. The Crow Wing River converges with the Mississippi River in this park, meaning there is ample riverfront scenery. The three main ecosystems of Minnesota also converge here to create an interesting and varied landscape of prairie, hardwood forest, and coniferous forest. Camping is available at one developed campsite.
History is an important part of the trails in this park. The Hiking Club Loop in the center of the park winds along the river past the historic Crow Wing townsite and to excellent views at Chippewa Lookout. Other trails in the south travel through prairie with a stop at the site of the Battle of 1768. The Paul Bunyan State Trail starts in this park and travels north all the way to Lake Bemidji State Park in Bemidji, Minnesota.
